


Milkshake

by GirlKnownSomewhere



Category: The Monkees (Band), The Monkees (TV)
Genre: 1960s, Band Fic, F/M, Ficlet, Flirting, Friends With Benefits, Hook-Up, Making Out, Misunderstandings, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-12-23 17:01:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21084773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GirlKnownSomewhere/pseuds/GirlKnownSomewhere
Summary: Ann catches Peter and a popular groupie in a compromising position (again).





	Milkshake

**Author's Note:**

> This has a lot of references to the second chapter of 'War Games,' but you don't necessarily need to be familiar with that sidefic to enjoy this one-shot. Also, for the life of me, I couldn't find any photos or descriptions on what Debbie looked/looks like, so I had to come up with her aesthetic from my imagination, heh. And like with WG, I set the recording of the Head soundtrack a couple months earlier to fit into the context of my fic timeline/narrative. Enjoy~
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Monkees or Ann Moses' and Debbie Donovan's likeness.

One-shot: Milkshake

Hollywood, June 1968

Peter parked his GTO in the RCA parking lot before stepping into the studio for another day of recording. Three of the Monkees (Peter, Micky and Davy) were meeting early to record the vocals to ‘Happy Birthday’ on their new movie’s soundtrack, with production help from their friend Gerry Goffin. Last week Peter had insisted on making up ruining Ann’s weekend earlier in the month by taking her to the Paramount drive-in to see Rosemary’s Baby. The horror film was outta-sight, but she stressed that her best friend Genie tag along too. He wasn’t sure what that was about. But it was groovy all the same because Genie’s a cool chick too. Peter really didn’t want to lose Ann in his life as she was the most normal friend he had currently. She didn’t get high often and didn’t really think much of free love—two things he enjoyed regularly. But some of his best talks were with her and she was cute as heck. And if she did happen to change her mind about going the next level physically, well, who was he to say no…

Since the movie outing ended up being so much fun, the two friends arranged to hang out again this week, but this time at the aquarium. Both were also coincidentally at RCA that morning; Peter for the recording and Ann for an interview with Zal Yanowsky of the Lovin’ Spoonful. As the ‘Birthday’ track only required a piano and vocals, the group was done with their end of the tune within an hour and a half. Surprised that Ann’s interview was apparently going longer than the band’s track, Peter headed to wait in the upstairs lobby that held a couch, a mini-table and a rack of magazines. The room was also like an entrance before the two sets of restrooms at on the second floor of the building. Because it was after noon and most people were either out of the studio for lunch or night owls still napping at home before coming in late to record; Peter discovered himself to be the only one left on the floor. Or so he thought.

As he opened the lobby door, he found Debbie, a local, semi-popular groupie from the Canyon, sitting on the couch. She wore her long, light-red hair down her back while donning a long, sleeveless, white summer dress with big sunflowers patterned over it. She leisurely sat back with her legs crossed and a cigarette loosely in her right hand.

“Oh, hey, Deb,” Peter greeted slightly surprised at her presence. “Didn’t know you were in the building. What brings you to our place of work?” He casually asked while taking a seat next to her.

She pointed with her cigarette to the door entrance. “Waiting to bum a ride off Harry since he’s going to the Whisky too.” Peter figured she was referring to one of RCA’s songwriters, Harry Nilsson.

“…At 1:00?” He asked skeptically.

She just shrugged. “No time limits in tinsel town.”

“I guess,” he chuckled.

“You want to join?” She offered before taking a drag.

He shook his head mildly. “Thanks, but I’m mingling with Ann for the rest of the day.”

Debbie looked puzzled at the feminine name. “Who?”

“You know, Ann? Cute blonde with the notebook and tape recorder always trying to nab soundbites from bands in town for Tiger Beat?” He answered in detail.

“Ohhh,” Debbie suddenly recognized the description, then let out a small, sarcastic laugh. “Ann Moses? She knows how to have fun?” She asked in minor disbelief.

“Hey now. You can’t fault someone making a decent living in this city. Especially since I still can’t figure out what exactly you and Christine do for work,” Peter teased with a tiny nudge. Debbie and her best friend Christine were the founding members of the Byrds’ fanclub when they were teens before eventually graduating to groupiedom by the time they were out of high school. Both girls originally had a thing for David Crosby, but these days Debbie was hanging around the guys in the Turtles, and Christine was partying with the Buffalo Springfield mates. Peter was not only friendly with most of these musicians, but also had recently gone on a casual date with a pretty brunette named Reine; who also just happened to be close friends with Debbie and Christine, and has had just as many flings as them.

Debbie shrugged again. “You don’t need a job if you know all the right people.” Peter casually grabbed the cigarette for his own drag. “Plus I would never be caught writing teenybopper articles,” she scoffed. 

Peter shook his head again while smirking. “I mean, is it really anymore juvenile than being the president of a fanclub?” 

She snorted. “Please. That was years ago. I am now a mature, worldly, sexually liberated 20-year-old woman.”

He pursed his lips to hold back a light laugh forming at the faux-seriousness of her statement. “Very groovy.”

Debbie took back her cigarette. While there was a calm silence, Peter neutrally glanced around the lobby, which held miniature replicas of classic paintings for decorations. His eyes stopped on the art right in front of them. “Hey, they added a Rembrandt to the room. Far out.”

“Yeah—oh! I actually know about this one!” Debbie exclaimed while standing up in front of the painting. “I read about this in an art history book at Steve’s house.” Peter stood up to stand next to her at the wall. “So this was made with oil, you know, instead of like, regular paint. And it’s called a ba-rock.” He nodded pretending not to already know what an oil-on-canvas was or that she mispronounced ‘baroque.’ “And…I think it’s supposed to be a reference to Greek mythology? Like Zeus?” She asked unsurely, but before she could let him offer a response, she added: “I don’t know, I was eating an edible while reading the book.”

He just gave another nod.

“Was he the artist who lost an ear?”

“I think that’s Van Gogh…”

“Ah…” There was another content silence for around 10 seconds before Debbie spoke again.

“You wanna fuck?”

Peter sighed as if in deep contemplation and ran a hand through his hair for extra measure. “Yeah, sure.”

“Cool,” she replied before tossing her cigarette into an ashtray on the table and pulling him into a kiss. He was caught a little off guard by the intensity at first, but then instinctively responded by slightly opening his mouth and wrapping his own arms around her. They necked for about a minute before Peter suddenly let go and stepped aside. 

“Wait, sorry. I can’t do this right now…” Debbie looked almost offended. “I mean, can we reschedule or something? I don’t want to be a drag and ruin Ann’s day again.”

“What do you mean?” She asked confused.

“Well, last time I did this at the studio, Ann walked in and it really upset her…” He explained.

“Are you guys going together?”

“Oh, well, no.”

“Aw, she has a little crush on you. That’s sweet.”

Peter let out another breath in annoyance, not intending to go into his complicated backstory with Ann. “No, we’re just close friends.”

Debbie raised an unconvinced eyebrow. “My friends don’t care who I make it with.”

He set his hands on his hips unrelentingly. “I just don’t want to be inconsiderate.”

“Sounds like something a boyfriend would do,” she persisted teasingly.

He loosely waved an arm, not sure how else to convince her otherwise. “What can I tell you. I take my friendships seriously.”

“Uh huh…” Was all she said before another short pause was between them. She ran a hand through her own hair and sighed. “Well…I was planning on having fun with Harry today anyway. So your loss more than mine.” She ended with a teasing smirk.

He smirked back, relieved she didn’t seem to care about his decline. “I’m sure it is.”

Before she was about to leave, Debbie placed her hands on his shoulders and gave him an additional kiss. Right as their lips touched, the door to the lobby suddenly opened and Ann appeared. The pair turned their heads to find her, with Debbie not bothering to look as surprised as Peter. Ann instantly rolled her eyes and dashed back into the hall. Peter quickly let go of Debbie and ran after her. “Wait, Ann!”

The journalist was halfway to the elevator when he caught up with her and placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her. “Annie—”

She cut him off right as they faced each other. “Peter, I don’t care, really. We’re not a couple—”

“I didn’t even know Debbie was going to be—”

“I just…wish you would consider some tact once in a while…” She lingered disappointedly. He stayed silent rather than inform her that he literally just did what she suggested. She gave a lazy lopsided smile with a look that read like she didn’t know what to do with him.

“…Good interview?” He attempted to change the subject.

She shrugged. “Yeah, it was fine.”

“Nice. Zal’s a cool cat,” he conversed. “So…we’re still on for the aquarium, right? I’ll be honest, thinking about our visit was what kept me going through the session.”

Ann rolled her eyes again, though this time with a smile. “More like you picked the aquarium because the ice cream stand is by the corner where they have girls dressed as mermaids.”

“Hey, if that were the case, I’d just convince Micky or Dave to go!” He insisted with his own big smile. She just shook her head playfully. Sensing that the awkwardness had passed currently, Peter warmly set his arm around her shoulder as they walked to the elevator. “Besides, I know you’re all excited to pet the starfish,” he joshed while shaking her a little and pushing the ‘down’ button when they stopped. Ann let another smile grow at him referencing her favorite aquatic animal. The friends stepped inside the elevator once the doors opened. Peter wrapped his other arm around her in an embrace and laid his chin on top of her head. Through the reflective elevator door he could vaguely see her still smiling, and he felt relief that he successfully subverted a possible misfire this time.


End file.
